Staff Reports
In recent days, the Oakland Hills have witnessed a scene that reads like a page from a horror novel, reminding everyone that despite the sunny Californian weather, the streets aren’t safe anymore. In a disturbing incident, Alan Wang’s wife was attacked during her routine evening stroll by a man wielding what appeared to be a sword. While she understandably attempted to retreat from this gleeful aggressor yelling about questions, he merely followed, swinging away. Apparently, when it comes to following social etiquette or basic decency, some folks in Oakland have skipped the class entirely.
As if that wasn’t enough, just a stone’s throw away from home, she was ambushed by another assailant who jumped out of a car, joining the merry fun of brutally attacking her. It took the intervention of a concerned neighbor to break up this sidewalk spectacle, after which the perpetrators made a swift getaway. But as one could predict, the police rolled in only to find a complete lack of any would-be criminals, leaving the grieving families to pick up the pieces in a city increasingly defined by lawlessness and chaos.
You get the govt you vote for, and California has been voting for the same failing govts for decades now.
Oakland crime: Critics blame police, outdated policies, and mayor https://t.co/7294N9VEkT via @dcexaminer
— Sorgatoni (@Sorghaghtani) August 9, 2024
This shocking event is just part of a troubling trend in Oakland, where crime resembles a full-time job. Alan Wang’s own mother had been previously assaulted by two strangers because, apparently, asking for money isn’t as simple as a mission to find a benevolent bank. When will the citizens learn that Oakland’s streets are no longer a friendly neighborhood but more akin to a dangerous obstacle course, where playing with money is only going to get them hurt?
Let’s also acknowledge the chilling rise in grim statistics. Recently, Run Hua Kuang, a father of two, was struck down while taking a nap at home, where he became a victim of a stray bullet going right through his wall and literally through his head. The image of a man simply trying to chill at home transformed into a headline should be enough to wake up even the sleepiest of California politicians. Meanwhile, as residents look on in despair, Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided that some extra Highway Patrol officers might be the silver bullet – or at least shiny handcuffs – to tackle the serious crime wave engulfing the city, following a long history of empty words from local leaders.
Unfortunately, Oakland’s leadership has been described as a combination of confusion and chronic ineptitude. With such a dismal police-to-citizen ratio—one officer for every 12,500 residents, one could assume law enforcement is on vacation or perhaps working from home. Governor Newsom himself has had to publicly chastise the Oakland Police Department for their outdated pursuit policies, alleging their reluctance to chase down crooks is contributing to the public safety debacle. This begs the question if their systems are essentially stuck in the early ‘90s, are they also equipped with pagers and flip phones?
Amidst these failures, residents, police unions, and even concerned citizens are pointing fingers at Mayor Sheng Thao. Her leadership, or lack thereof, has prompted the police union to demand her resignation. This call for help from those risking their lives daily highlights the ever-widening gap between elected officials and the realities facing the people they purport to serve. The courageous cops of Oakland are effectively saying enough is enough; it is time for a leadership change that might restore some sanity to the chaos bred from decades of neglect.
As crime rates soar, it seems that selective political storytelling only serves to alienate a public desperate for action further. The residents of Oakland deserve better than this tumultuous saga of survival—real solutions, real leadership, and, quite frankly, real law enforcement that doesn’t just pay lip service. At the same time, citizens fear for their lives as they walk their dogs or stroll home from dinner. In a city where crime should not dictate daily life, the time for change is long overdue.
